THE Oyo State government, through the state Ministry of Education Science and Technology, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has commenced activities that tend towards developing an enrolment framework to address the problem of out-school-children in the state.
A two-day policy dialogue was held at Kakanfo Inn, Ibadan, recently to adopt the national enrolment campaign framework and also to develop a special framework for the state.
The Commissioner for Education Science and Technology, Professor Daud Kehinde Sangodoyin, while declaring the meeting open, admitted the necessity for every education stakeholder in the state to brainstorm on effective strategies to increase enrolment into basic and secondary schools in the state, and find ways to bring all the out-of-school children back to school.
He said the state government under the leadership of Governor Seyi Makinde is prepared to restore the education sector to its past glory.
While he commended UNICEF for its timely financial aids towards education development in Oyo State, the commissioner appealed to all the religious, community and traditional leaders in the state to lend their support in reducing out-of-school children figure.
Also, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Mr A. K Balogun, noted that the Sustainable Development Goals recognise that every child counts, and that no child should be left out.
This he said necessitated the meeting of the stakeholders drawn from communities, religious centres, education sector and agencies in the state to commence an aggressive campaign for leaving no child behind.
Reverend David Suleiman from Pentecostal Fellowship and Asipa Baale Elewi-Odo, Chief Yekini Shittu, who spoke on behalf of other participants asserted that the out-of-school children phenomenon in the state should not be left for government alone.
He said it is expected that all the religious bodies in the state would engage every child under their care, and adopt some of them who are orphans and give them education.
UNICEF Education Specialist, Murtala Mohammed, who represented the Fund, commended the Oyo State government for their readiness to combat the out-of-school children challenge.
He urged the state government to invest more fund for teachers’ capacity building and infrastructure development in schools in the state.